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At site of demolished Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, upcoming art installation will pay tribute
‘The magic happened past that door’: At site of demolished Inner Ear Studios in Arlington, upcoming art installation will pay tribute
Neal Augenstein | naugenstein@wtop.com
May 28, 2025, 11:26 AM
{snip video}
Upcoming art installation will pay tribute to demolished Inner Ear Studio
A first-time visitor to a large grassy space between industrial buildings, just off Four Mile Run in South Arlington, Virginia, would never know that punk rock history was made on that spot.
“We’re standing here at the site of 2701 South Oakland Street, where Inner Ear Studios was for about 30 or so years,” said Cynthia Connolly, who has documented D.C.’s punk scene from its earliest days, in her book “Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes from the DC Underground (79-85).
In 2021, after 32 years recording bands from Fugazi to Foo Fighters, studio owner Don Zientara closed that studio, as Arlington County announced plans to build an arts district in the neighborhood where Inner Ear Studios stood.
“This is a very industrial area. There was a very nondescript, almost scary steel door, and a buzzer. You rang the doorbell, and then friendly Don Zientara would answer the door,” laughed Connolly.
{snip}
Neal Augenstein
Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.
naugenstein@wtop.com
@AugensteinWTOP
Neal Augenstein | naugenstein@wtop.com
May 28, 2025, 11:26 AM
{snip video}
Upcoming art installation will pay tribute to demolished Inner Ear Studio
A first-time visitor to a large grassy space between industrial buildings, just off Four Mile Run in South Arlington, Virginia, would never know that punk rock history was made on that spot.
“We’re standing here at the site of 2701 South Oakland Street, where Inner Ear Studios was for about 30 or so years,” said Cynthia Connolly, who has documented D.C.’s punk scene from its earliest days, in her book “Banned in DC: Photos and Anecdotes from the DC Underground (79-85).
In 2021, after 32 years recording bands from Fugazi to Foo Fighters, studio owner Don Zientara closed that studio, as Arlington County announced plans to build an arts district in the neighborhood where Inner Ear Studios stood.
“This is a very industrial area. There was a very nondescript, almost scary steel door, and a buzzer. You rang the doorbell, and then friendly Don Zientara would answer the door,” laughed Connolly.
{snip}
Neal Augenstein
Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.
naugenstein@wtop.com
@AugensteinWTOP